Belkin routers redirect to ad site

[chiph]

I read on Slashdot today that certain Belkin routers will automatically redirect HTTP requests to their site where you can opt-in to receive their marketing information. Your choice then gets recorded in the router, until a hard-reset is performed, upon which it will do it again.

As if this wasn't annoying enough -- the real implication of this is that a web site is able to change the configuration of your router. From a network security standpoint, this is horrible. I would suggest anyone who has one of these discontinue their use until a firmware patch is made available.

Read more at Slashdot:

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/11/07/1740205&mode=thread&tid=126&tid=153&tid=95&tid=99

And on UseNet:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...oup:news.admin.net-abuse.email+belkin&num=100

Chip H.


If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

 

[dilettante]

The latest I've seen on this issue is Belkin's claim that it was only meant to promote a "parental control" product.

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=c91e821d.0311072000.4d34a84f@posting.google.com&output=gplain

 

[chiph]

Good to hear that.

Although, I think the problem was never in the "parental controls" part of their product (which sounds like it might be something that a portion of their users might want), but rather in the web site changing the config on the router.

I may be in the market for a new router/firewall -- mine died over the weekend (looks like an internal hardware problem), so if Belkin fixes this, they'll be on the list of potential vendors.

Chip H.


If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

 

[2ffat]

Article on News.com (CNet) indicates this behaviour can be turned off.

http://news.com.com/2100-1039-5104863.html?part=dht&tag=ntop

James P. Cottingham

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity.
[tab][tab]Albert Einstein explaining his Theory of Relativity to a group of journalists.

 

[SteveTheGeek]

Per The Register, Belkin is about to make available a firmware update that will disable the "feature".
Details here:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/33918.html

-SteveB